Air ticket cancellation fee may be slashed! Govt says current rate on 'higher side'

New Delhi: Ticket cancellation charges are likely to get less taxing as the government has lashed out at airlines, calling the current rate of cancellation fees “onerous for passengers”.

According to a report by TOI, the government will soon speak to airlines addressing this issue and ask them to reduce the fee to a reasonable amount.

"We believe cancellation charges are on the high side and onerous for passengers. The Rs 3,000 fee is in many cases more than the price of the ticket itself. Our UDAN (subsidised regional flying) scheme has capped fares at Rs 2,500 per hour of flying. These cancellation charges need to be brought back into balance," aviation minister Jayant Sinha told TOI.

Sinha’s comments find significance amidst the recent spate of cancellation fee hikes levied by several airlines. Experts believe that it result in passengers shunning the practice of booking tickets in advance to get lower fares. Sinha has ordered a probe into these “exorbitant” fares.

The government is also working on a "passenger bill of rights" (PBOR) that will propound on the rights and duties of flyers.

"India has seen a doubling of air travellers in the last 3.5 years, a growth rate that has not been witnessed anywhere globally. Many are first-time flyers who need to be made aware of their rights and duties. For this, we are preparing the PBOR by looking at best practices globally. It will be a robust and balanced document to protect consumer rights," Sinha said.